Mixing Covid-19 vaccines 'could increase side effects'
Mixing Covid-19 vaccines could increase the chance of suffering from side effects, a new study has found.
Researchers from the Oxford Vaccine Group's Com-COV vaccine trial discovered that adults were more likely to suffer from mild to moderate side effects after mixing doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer jabs.
The study was launched back in February this year, as scientists wanted to find out if people who had a different jab for their second dose would have better and longer-lasting immunity.
Mixing doses would also mean that clinics, vaccine centres and GP practices would also be able to cope if vaccine supplies were affected.
More than 800 volunteers were recruited, with all adults aged over 50, and common symptoms after mixing the vaccines included chills, headaches, and muscle pain. However, any side effects did not last long.
One in 10 volunteers who were given two AstraZeneca jabs reported feverishness, but that figure rose to 34 per cent when given one AstraZeneca jab and one Pfizer.
Chief investigator Professor Matthew Snape, from the Oxford Vaccine Group, said that the findings were "really intriguing" and not something they were expecting.
"One thing it's telling us is that you wouldn't want to vaccinate a ward full of nurses on the same day (with different vaccines), because you might have more absenteeism the next day," he added.
